Stories for May 9, 2011

In "Egypt: Quest For The Lord Of The Nile," explorer and travel writer Richard Bangs sets off for an incredible adventure on the great Nile River to uncover the history, myths and culture of the lost crocodiles of ancient Egypt. From Alexandria to Cairo, from the pyramids at Giza to the Valley of the Kings, Bangs explores the way the river and its fearsome "Lord" molded a civilization.

Cheaper prescription drugs could be on the way for some people in San Diego. The County Board of Supervisors will consider adopting a new program that would provide free prescription drug discount cards.

In Mexico and Peru, Professor Gates explores the almost unknown history of the significant numbers of black people — the two countries together received far more slaves than did the United States —brought to these countries as early as the 16th and 17th centuries, and the worlds of culture that their descendants have created in Vera Cruz on the Gulf of Mexico, the Costa Chica region on the Pacific and in and around Lima, Peru.

Federal agents are investigating the background of a California man with a Yemeni passport who pounded on the cockpit door of an American Airlines flight as it approached San Francisco before a flight attendant tackled him, authorities said Monday.

California working women make on average $8,300 less per year than men. This costs California women about $37 billion annually. The Equal Pay Act was signed into law in 1963 to prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers. In passing the bill, Congress denounced sexual discrimination in the workplace. It has been 48 years since the law was enacted.
Many women are supporting a new equal pay act called the Paycheck Fairness Act, which passed in the U.S. House but fell short in the Senate. This would close loopholes in the old act to ensure that women aren't underpaid. We are going to discuss the current equal pay rules as well as the struggle women are facing, and the ways that women are trying to gain equality.

Last month, a news story about the conflict in Libya ended with this short, tragic line. One of the victims of the shelling in Misrata was a 3-year old girl.
Too often, children become the casualties in armed conflicts. And sometimes they become unwilling participants.

The legal limit for the national debt is $14.3 trillion, and the federal government could run out of money later in the summer if the limit is not raised. We'll discuss how San Diego will be affected if the debt ceiling is not raised. Plus, hear the main arguments against raising the debt limit.

Soaring gas prices are making it tougher for Meal on Wheels San Diego to deliver food to seniors. The agency is traveling the same road it was on when price spikes drove away volunteers three years ago.